January is Prime Soup Time

When we visit my parents, my husband is never shy to ask if there are frozen servings of my dad’s Chicken Orzo Soup to take home. Soup season is my favorite time of year, until spring starts to tease.

Make your own broth or use a good quality, low-sodium store brand chicken stock. It’s the lemon juice, tomatoes and herbs that make this soup special and a favorite in our family. I prefer to cut the vegetables in a consistent size when preparing the soup ingredients. That’s so the diner gets a spoonful of all the flavors, instead of one vegetable crowding out another.

Make a vegetarian version by substituting the chicken and chicken broth with 3 cups of prepared white beans and low-sodium vegetable broth. You'll need to rename the soup to something like Fabulous White Bean and Herb Soup. Or, you can try my vegetarian Tomato Orzo Soup.

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Dad’s Chicken Orzo Soup

Keep in mind that the longer the soup rests, the more liquid the pasta or rice will absorb and it may become stew-like. Serve immediately or prepare the pasta separately and add to the soup just before serving.